Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
King County committee examines three I&I policy paths as staff warns private property drives most of the problem
Summary
On March 4, staff briefed the Regional Wastewater Quality Committee on the RWSP update’s I&I (infiltration and inflow) policy memos and three options: maintain current practice, target incentives in high‑I&I areas, or impose systemwide flow limits with penalties. Members pressed staff for a fuller cost–benefit analysis that includes treatment and O&M costs.
Chair Balducci opened the March 4 meeting of the Regional Wastewater Quality Committee to receive briefings on the Regional Wastewater Services Plan update and related 2027 rate work.
"I and I is extraneous water that enters the sanitary sewage system from groundwater or stormwater," said Johnson Nguyen, a planner with WTD's separate‑conveyance program, introducing the technical case for immediate policy attention. Nguyen told the committee that excessive I&I drives conveyance‑capacity and peak‑flow needs and that, based on prior studies, "it's estimated that approximately $1,700,000,000 in conveyance capacity projects are due to I and I" (2016 dollars). He added that studies estimate up to about 75% of I&I originates on private property.
Why it matters: that volume and cost implication help explain why the county and its partner agencies are re‑examining how costs are assigned and what tools the region should use to reduce excessive flows into the sewer system. WTD…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
